POLL: Warren, Brown make it personal in first debate

In the first debate of a hotly contested U.S. Senate race, Republican Sen. Scott Brown went on the attack his challenger Elizabeth Warren, criticizing her explanation of the controversy around her claims of Native American ancestry and slamming the high salary she earns as a Harvard Law professor.

By Chris Burrell

The Patriot Ledger, Quincy, MA

By Chris Burrell

Posted Sep. 21, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 21, 2012 at 9:09 PM

By Chris Burrell

Posted Sep. 21, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Sep 21, 2012 at 9:09 PM

BOSTON

» Social News

In the first debate of a hotly contested U.S. Senate race, Republican Sen. Scott Brown came out on the attack against his challenger, Elizabeth Warren, criticizing her explanation of the controversy surrounding her claims of Native American ancestry and slamming the high salary she earns as a Harvard Law professor.

Warren swung back, calling this a race for control of the Senate and allying herself strongly with President Barack Obama, who is strongly ahead in polls in Massachusetts.

The two sparred for an hour in their first of four debates, answering questions – many of which were submitted by viewers – from WBZ-TV’s political analyst Jon Keller.

They staked out different turf on jobs and the economy, climate change, tax policy, Supreme Court nominations, foreign policy and health coverage for women.

Notable was that Brown, who supports Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, did not mention Romney’s name once during the debate.

Taking the first question, Brown went after Warren on the Native American controversy.

“Professor Warren claimed she was Native American, a person of color. As you can see, she’s not,” he said, arguing that Warren’s action could have deprived a deserving person of a job.

But Warren said her Native American roots never played a role in gaining admissions to colleges and had nothing to do with landing a job at Harvard.

“I heard from my parents, aunts and uncles ... that my mother was part Delaware and part Cherokee,” she said. “This is about family. I can’t and won’t change who I am.”

On the meatiest of issues – the economy and taxes – Brown portrayed himself as a defender of job creators and argued that Warren would harm the economy, raising taxes by billions of dollars.

“I am not going to raise taxes on the job creators, the small business, considered the so-called wealthy,” said Brown.

Warren fired back, saying that Brown voted against three jobs bills and refused to raise taxes on the richest 2 percent of Americans.

“Billionaires should pay taxes at the same rates as their secretaries,” Warren said repeatedly. “Senator Brown voted to protect subsidies for big oil (when they earned) $137 billion in profits.”

Warren frequently placed her candidacy against a national backdrop, not just over which party will gain a majority in the Senate but who will be nominated to the nation’s top court and to lead the Environmental Protection Agency.

“The Supreme Court may hang in balance,” she said, pointing out that Brown voted against the nomination of Justice Elena Kagan, who is pro-choice.

Brown, who said he also favors abortion rights, quipped: “I am sorry I did not vote for your boss.”

Kagan was dean at Harvard Law. But Brown ardently defended his allegiance to women’s issues. “I have been fighting for women’s rights and battled when my mom was being abused by one of my stepfathers,” he said.

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Warren countered that Brown’s voting record showed he was against a bill ensuring equal pay for women and that he co-sponsored the failed Blunt amendment that would have allowed some employers and insurers to block some health coverage for women, including birth control.

Brown argued that the amendment centered on religious freedom.

“I am not going to pit women against the church,” he said.

Answering a question about climate change submitted by a Norton resident, the two candidates showed different approaches to energy policy.

Brown said he favor “an all of the above” policy including not just nuclear, solar and wind power but also more coal and oil production.

“We need to stabilize the cost you pay at the pump,” he said. “I just paid $70 to fill up the truck.”

Warren warned that a Republican-controlled Senate would appoint a man to run the EPA who “believes global warming is a hoax.”